If I Die Before I Wake
by MendaciousMinx
Summary: Beast Boy is assaulted by a deadly disease. When Death comes calling, Raven finds she has friends in high places... or are they low? BBRae.
1. Insert Clever Pun Here

No one knew where the disease had come from.

It had taken hold of Beast Boy's body, coursing through him like the most deadly of flash floods. Even Raven's magiks were helpless against it. In less than two days, he'd been reduced to the weakest state in which a human could survive. But that wouldn't last long.

They all knew he was dying.

Raven was the only one in the room now, sitting at Beast Boy's side like a gargoyle protecting something holy and sacred. She would have cried if she could, but all of her tears had been spent.

Beast Boy's eyes fluttered open, and he moved his head to look at her. "R-Raven?" Is that... Is that you?"

Raven's eyes widened, and she tensed. "Yes, Beast Boy. I'm right here. Do you need anything?"

"Raven..." he said weakly, unable to move, "I think... there are whispers, Raven. I can hear things... talking..." He coughed loudly, and then continued. "I think I have to go now..."

"No!" she cried, letting her emotions get the best of her. "You can't! Beast Boy, you just can't!"

He smiled, green eyes weary. "I have to, Rae... I'll miss you..."

"Beast Boy," she gasped, clutching his hand with her own, "I never got to tell you, I... I think I... love you..."

Surprise was evident in his quickly-dulling eyes. "Rae, I... I lo--"

And then he was gone.

"No..." Raven whispered, a tear she thought she couldn't cry managing to fall regardless. "He can't be..."

The sound of horses screaming met her ears, and a chariot being dragged along linoleum. There was a voice shouting, and then a figure robed all in black staggered in. Doctors and nurses continued to walk by, oblivious to the hundreds of flaming horses which had quite suddenly appeared in the hall.

"Who are you?" Raven asked, standing abruptly.

"You can see me?" he inquired, peering at her more closely. "Raven? Is that you?"

It was Raven's turn to look scrutinizingly at him. "Cousin Nate? What on earth...?"

The young man threw off his hood and laughed. "That's right, you didn't know I got this job! It's been a while since you wrote, so I figured you didn't have time for family."

"What job are you talking about, exactly?" Raven asked suspiciously.

He grinned. "I'm the new Grim Reaper. Pretty neat, eh? They took one look at my arm and hired me in an instant." He held out his left hand, which was little more than an unearthly set of white bones.

"Did you have that the last time I saw you?"

"Nope! Happened recently. Accident with a necromancer."

"Ah."

"So where's the stiff?"

She realized he was talking about Beast Boy. "You can't take him."

Nate raised an eyebrow. "What? Rae, I've got to. It's my job."

Raven glared intensely at him. "You can't have him."

The Grim Reaper sighed in exasperation. "Okay, I'll bite. Why not?"

She blushed. No more needed to be said.

"Ah, so that's it." Nate grinned mischievously. "Fine, cous', I won't take your lover. On one condition."

Now she became suspicious again. "What condition?"

He gave her a warm smile. "Live happily ever after, Rae. There's been too little of that in this family."

Raven nodded, offering him a slight smile. "Thanks, Nate."

The Grim Reaper smirked happily. "Any time. Ta!" He turned to go. "Oh!" he said, swiveling around again, "I almost forgot." He tapped the but of his scythe against Beast Boy's forehead, and Raven jumped when the changeling started breathing again. "By the way," Nate muttered as an afterthought, "Do you have any idea how hard it is to drive a carriage of a thousand flaming horses through a hospital? Your human friends sure have annoying tastes in architecture."

He strode out the door, and a few moments later Raven heard the screech of wooden wheels on tile. There were several disgruntled thuds, some whinnying that sounded suspiciously like laughter, and a few muffled curses. Finally, silence echoed through the hospital room.

Beast Boy mumbled something and opened his eyes. Raven was instantly at his side. "How do you feel?"

He blinked at her, looking dazed. "I feel... great! But how...?"

She smiled. "Never mind that. It's a story for another time." Giving him a light kiss on the cheek, Raven sat next to the confused shapeshifter.

Beast Boy blushed, and all thoughts of miracles were chased instantly from his mind. "Sure," he said, a silly smile crawling across his face, "Whatever you say."


	2. Happily Forever

A/N: An epilogue was suggested to me. I've forgotten the name of the reviewer, because I have severe head-trauma from getting so many reviews so fast, but whoever you are, thanks. I whipped this up in like fifteen minutes, so don't be mad.

Disclaimer: If I owned Teen Titans, my toe would not have ebola. Since it does, we can safely assume that I am shamelessly stealing them from their rightful owners. I'm going to Hell.

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Less than five minutes after Beast Boy's miraculous recovery, the other Titans burst into the room. Robin skittered to a halt on the tile floor, staring in shock at the happy Titan who sat quietly on the hospital bed. "B.B., we just heard! Is it true? Are you okay?"

Beast Boy grinned and nodded, leaning back against the headboard. "Yeah. I dunno what happened, but somehow I'm better. Rae knows something, but she won't tell."

Their gazes went to Raven for a moment, but Starfire leapt into the air with a loud squeal. "Oh, it is most joyous! Friend Beast Boy has become better from the disease of badness! I shall bake the mordluk!" She zipped away, most likely to bring some new monstrosity of the culinary arts into the unsuspecting world.

Cyborg stared after her for a moment, but soon turned back to grin at Beast Boy. "Well, I should probably go keep Star's creation from laying waste to the known universe. Catch y'all later!"

The half-man elbowed Robin harshly in the ribs, intending to give him a hint. "Ow!" the Boy Wonder yelped, clutching his stomach. "What was that for?"

"C'mon, Hair Gel, whatever Star makes might know Kung Fu!"

Robin blinked. "What? No, they don't have Kung Fu on Star's planet."

A vein pulsed in Cyborg's forehead. "Well then, should I go ALONE? To make sure Star's not ALONE? Should I leave you ALONE? Here? ALONE?"

For a moment, the two stood in silence. Finally, a look of understanding came across Robin's masked features. "Ooh, I get it. Okay! I'll help... um... pick flowers for the centerpiece! Yeah! Have fun ALONE, you guys!"

With that, the two dashed out of the room. Raven and Beast Boy stared after them.

"That was... strange..." the cloaked girl said slowly, raising an eyebrow.

Beast Boy blinked. "I think I understand why you always said living with us would give you an ulcer some day."

Raven shrugged. "Too late. But enough of that."

Her lips met his, and it was the sweetest thing either of them had ever tasted. Sweeter than tofu ice-cream, sweeter than peppermint tea, and definitely sweeter than mordluk.

As they finally came apart, Beast Boy grinned happily. "C'mon, Rae. Who knows what they'll think we're doing if we stay too long?"

An impish look came over Raven's face. "It's a thought, but you're right. Let's go home."

Chuckling quietly, Beast Boy took her hand and they walked together from the hospital.

/Meanwhile.../

Nate strode into his office, hanging his robes and scythe on the wall. No sooner had he sat down than a burly-looking man shoved the door roughly off its hinges. "Boss wants to see you." He grabbed the exhausted Reaper out of a plush swivel chair and dragged him down the hall.

Nate sighed. "There's a moral in this somewhere."

And they all lived happily ever after.

**The End  
**


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